The 2026 NFL season kicks off with a Week 1 slate that gives Eagles fans plenty to monitor beyond Philadelphia’s own opener. The main target is simple: root for the Birds, then spend the rest of Sunday watching the results that help or hurt the path through the NFC.
The most important one is the obvious one. Washington comes to Philadelphia on Sunday at 4:25 PM Eastern, and a win over the Commanders is the one result Eagles fans should be waiting for most. Go Birds.
In the NFC East, the rooting line is just as clear. Dallas travels to New York, and since the Cowboys are the bigger threat to the Eagles right now, the Giants are the play.
There are also several games that shape the NFC playoff race, and a lot of them come down to who looks more dangerous down the road. In the Kickoff Game, New England meets Seattle in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
Even if some Philly fans are naturally pulling against A.J. Brown, the better outcome for the Eagles is a Patriots win, since the Seahawks can be a threat to Philly’s push for a top seed in the same conference.
The same logic applies in San Francisco’s trip to Los Angeles. The 49ers and Rams meet Thursday in Australia, and while the Rams carry the shortest Super Bowl odds in the league, they also look like the bigger obstacle. That makes San Francisco the pick, even though the Eagles have had an easier time beating the Rams than the 49ers.
Tampa Bay at Cincinnati is an easy one: AFC over NFC, so the Bengals get the nod. New Orleans at Detroit leans the other way for a different reason.
The Lions are a real bounce-back candidate and have the league’s easiest schedule, so the ideal outcome is for them to take an early loss. That means rooting for the Saints.
Atlanta at Pittsburgh brings another AFC-over-NFC decision, but there’s a Philly twist too. The Eagles will see the Steelers later in the season, and if Philadelphia beats them, Pittsburgh piling up wins helps the strength of victory tiebreaker. So the Steelers are the play.
Arizona at the Chargers follows that same tiebreaker thinking. The Cardinals aren’t much of a threat to the Eagles in the NFC, and with Philadelphia set to face them this year, the best setup is for Arizona to build as strong a record as possible. Root for the Cardinals.
Green Bay at Minnesota is a little less straightforward, but the Vikings get the edge here. The Packers may be the bigger threat, and Green Bay also has the more favorable Super Bowl odds. The Eagles would probably rather see Kyler Murray than Jordan Love in the playoffs, so Minnesota is the safer bet.
The rest of the board mostly comes down to future Eagles opponents and strength of victory. Buffalo at Houston means pulling for the Texans, since Philadelphia plays them this season and wants Houston to carry a better record if the Eagles win that matchup.
Baltimore at Indianapolis follows the same logic with the Colts. Cleveland at Jacksonville does too, which means the Jaguars are the team to root for.
And when Tennessee is in action, the Titans are the pick for the same reason, because the Eagles play them later this season and would benefit from a stronger Tennessee record if Philly handles business.
In Other News...
Eagles May Have Created A Bigger Problem With A.J. Brown Move
The Eagles spent the offseason making a bold move by sending A.J. Brown to New England after a 2025 season that reportedly featured tension between the star receiver and Jalen Hurts. It was the kind of decision teams make when they believe a locker room reset is worth the risk, but around the league, rivals have been quick to wonder whether Philadelphia solved one problem only to create another.
Now the pressure shifts to what comes next on offense, where the Eagles will be asking younger options such as Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks to help replace Browns production and presence. There is always a difference between moving on from a player and actually replacing him, and for Philadelphia, that gap may end up defining how this trade is judged. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Rookie Eli Stowers Just Got A Chance To Change His Summer
Eli Stowers finally got back on the field Wednesday, a small but meaningful step for an Eagles rookie tight end who had already seen his first NFL summer interrupted by both uneven camp work and a late hamstring injury. The No. 54 overall pick out of Vanderbilt missed the final practices and the preseason finale, and for a player still trying to get his footing, every rep matters more than most.
Stowers has already talked about how difficult the mental side of the transition can be, and this was the kind of return that can at least reset the conversation around him. His status for the season opener is still up in the air, but getting back to practice gives him a chance to salvage some momentum before the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Reason To Watch Two AFC Injury Situations
A pair of AFC injury situations suddenly has some relevance for the Eagles, even if both issues are unfolding far from Philadelphia. A.J. Brown, now with the Patriots, left a game against the Seahawks with an ankle injury, and the early word leaves the severity unclear. For Eagles fans, it is another reminder that a familiar face is still working through the same kind of weekly health uncertainty that can reshape a season in a hurry.
Seattles quarterback picture is the other one worth keeping an eye on, with Sam Darnold dealing with a hip injury and Drew Lock stepping in behind him. Any extended absence would force the Seahawks to sort through options, and that is where the ripple effect could eventually touch Philadelphia, at least in the background. The discussion has already drifted toward possible help at quarterback, which is the sort of development Eagles observers will file away even while waiting to see how serious both injuries really are. [Read more 🡒]